FNL
HomePage
Editorial Board
E-mail FNL
FNL Archives
MIT HomePage

Letters

ACTA Report Less Than Advertised

Following the advice of some of our colleagues in the last issue of the FNL, I read the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) report from cover to cover. It is largely a compilation of quotations of faculty and students at U.S. universities, reacting to the events of September 11th . It is an exposure, no doubt a selective one, of prevailing campus sentiments. No where is it suggested that those being quoted should be silenced or lose their jobs; on the contrary, their right of free speech is vigorously defended. To call this a McCarthy-style "blacklist" is to do an injustice to all those who have fought and continue to fight against the real thing.

It has been argued that many of the quotations were taken out of context. It is difficult to assess this charge, given that there are so many. Considering such well-considered gems as "Anyone who can blow up the Pentagon gets my vote," it is hard to believe that any context in which this is set will improve the light it casts on its author. I read the whole of Noam Chomsky's remarks, and the ACTA quotation, "The only way we can put an end to terrorism is to stop participating in it," captures the spirit of those remarks rather well.

So why the near-hysterical reaction of many academics to the ACTA report? I suspect it is because, in another important sense, the quotations were taken out of context. Most of the pronouncements quoted by ACTA were published in campus newspapers or made in the course of campus events such as rallies, "teach-ins," or special seminars, and were intended for the ears of like-minded academics. ACTA's crime was to expose these to a larger public. The hair-pulling over this somewhat subversive act results, perhaps, from a residual sense of shame in those who too reflexively castigate the U.S., even in a time of crisis. In the aftermath of September 11th , many academics went public with opinions on the causes of terrorism, as well as on what should be done about it. As is to be expected, some of the opinions were well-considered, other less so, and still others…well, read the ACTA report. But all those who make public pronouncements should be prepared to field public criticism.

Kerry Emanuel

 

FNL
HomePage
Editorial Board
E-mail FNL
FNL Archives
MIT HomePage